According to sources Sonia Gandhi-led Congress wants Sena to leave its Hindutva agenda and make a commitment on secularism
Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are likely to meet in Delhi on November 17 to discuss a possible alliance with the ShivSena for forming government in Maharashtra, sources said.
The Congress and NCP both have decided to would work out a common minimum Programme (CMP) with the ShivSena, which would then be discussed in the meeting between Gandhi and Pawar, close sources said on Thursday.
However, it was, not clear whether and when Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will meet the two leaders after the CMP is finalized.
A 10 members coordination committee of the Congress and NCP met here on Wednesday to hold preliminary discussions on the Common Minimum Programme.
On Thursday Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat and state NCP president Jayant Patil met Uddhav Thackeray, as decided in the meeting of the coordination committee.
“Both Thorat and Patil held preliminary discussion with Uddhav Thackeray. Now state leaders of the three parties have again met on Thursday to prepare the document Common Minimum Programme which will be sent for the approval of the respective top brass of the three parties,” said the sources.
The CMP details have not been made in public, but reports said farm loan waiver, unemployment, and higher MSPs were at the top priority.
According to sources Sonia Gandhi-led Congress wants Sena to leave its Hindutva agenda and make a commitment on secularism.
The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the October 21 Assembly polls together and won 105 and 56 seats, respectively, securing a comfortable majority in the 288-member house.
However, the two parties, fell out after the Sena persisted with its demand of sharing the rotational chief minister’s post in the state, leading to the BJP to announce that it was in no position to stake claim to form the government.
After the ShivSena and NCP, second and third largest parties, on Tuesday said they could not claim immediately, the state was placed under President’s rule.
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